Episode 061: THE GUIDING LIGHT
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The Guiding Light: Episode 061
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Written By: Dan Gobble & Josh Hawkins
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Written By: Dan Gobble & Josh Hawkins
**********
The morning sun creeps through the window of Holly’s bedroom. Holly peers out the window to the back yard below. The small buds that will become leaves have popped out of the ground. She then looks at her lap and sees Blake nestled there. Holly strokes her head and contents herself remembering days long past. Dark rings surround her eyes; she hasn’t slept a wink. As she reminisces, flashes of the past flare up again. She sees Roger in front of her.
“You love him don’t ya! You love him! Why don't you look at me that way?” he yells as he bashes his fists into his chest.
The image changes and Holly sees a very different side to him.
“How could I have destroyed what I loved best and made even the loveliness of it so ugly to you?” he says.
These thoughts have jumbled her mind and kept her up all night. “I have to be strong,” Holly says. “I have to be strong for Blake’s sake.” Holly looks down again and strokes her hair.
**********
Amanda Spaulding-Thorpe walks into the Spaulding dining room and sees Alan sitting back puffing on a cigar.
“I’m so glad you’re taking Roger’s death so well Alan!”
“Why shouldn’t I celebrate the passing of an enemy? I’ve been waiting for this moment for years. Roger Thorpe is dead! I never thought I’d see the day! It’s just a shame Alexandra isn’t here to see it.”
“Yes, but I was hoping that for my sake that you would stop it. He was my husband and I did love him.”
“The man was a bastard Amanda. He terrorized this town. Even his own family wasn’t safe. You know what he did to Alexandra. Why do you keep defending him?”
“You know, some people would say the same about you! Do I need to remind you that you and Brandon took her children from her? Or perhaps any of the countless schemes that you have engaged in? You are no better than him!”
Amanda storms out of the room, passing Beth and Phillip on the way out.
“I was wondering about this storm that’s supposed to blow into town this week,” smirks Beth. “If it gets cold enough it’ll snow they say.”
“Dad, what happened? Why did Amanda run out?” Phillip says as they sit down. Alan-Michael and Lucy enter the room and sit down.
“Oh, she will be fine,” Alan assures them. “She’s just going through the mourning process. How you could mourn the loss of Roger Thorpe, I just don’t know?”
Beth stands up to make an announcement to the family.
“Everyone, I spoke with the funeral director this morning, he’ll help schedule Alexandra’s memorial. They were booked until Friday, so that is when the memorial will be.”
Each family member glances at each other as they remember Alexandra.
“I’ll take off. I want to come,” Lucy says.
**********
Meanwhile, Alexandra enters a hotel room. She has returned to Springfield but has decided to freshen up before announcing her resurrection. She hears a knock on the door and opens it to find a hotel messenger. “Here’s a copy of the paper like you asked,” he says. Alex closes the door and reads. “Former Spaulding Exec Dead,” the headline reads.
Alexandra sees the picture on the cover and shutters. “Roger?”
The paper drops out of her hands and hits the floor.
*********
And Now "The Guiding Light"
**********
Billy Lewis sits at home reading the newspaper. “That son-of-a-bitch is finally dead,” he thinks. He flashes back to the time when he thought he had finished the job himself. Billy stares at Roger through the potting shed window, a revolver pointed at his chest. The bullet shatters the window before piercing Roger’s chest.
Billy comes back from the subconscious visions and thinks of Mindy. He picks up the phone and dials her New York address.
“Hey darlin’. How is my little girl doin’?”
“Daddy, I’m fine. I’m not a little girl anymore you don’t have to keep checking up on me,” Mindy complains.
“Mindy, you know that that is what I do best. But this isn’t a check up call. Guess who died? Roger Thorpe of all people!”
“Are they sure?” Mindy asks. “Did they find a body this time?”
“The Journal says they did. But you can never tell with Thorpe. The paper says that the funeral will be held tomorrow. Why don’t ya come and give your old man some company?”
“You mean you are actually going to the funeral? Don’t you think that’s a little much Daddy?”
“Well honey, in times like this ya gotta go to show the good Lord what kinda person you are.”
“Uh-huh,” Mindy says. “I don’t believe you.”
“At any rate, it could be fun. A little Roger Thorpe roast could be more fun than a barrel of monkeys.”
“My meeting got pushed back till Friday so I guess I can stop by. Marah’s still here with me, so I’ll drop her off.”
“Good. I’ll see you later darlin’.”
Billy places the receiver and grabs the newspaper. He takes one more look at Roger’s photo then throws the paper into the fireplace.
**********
Blake wakes up and walks downstairs. Ross lies asleep on the sofa in the living room. She goes to him and snuggles up against him. Holly comes in from the kitchen and sees them together. She can remember what brought Ross to town in the first place. When Roger was on trial for raping Holly, Ross was his lawyer. She remembers him grilling her on the stand, making the rape out to be something that she deserved.
Under the fictional pressure, Holly drops the tray she was carrying. It hits the floor with a crash, waking up Ross and Blake.
“Oh I’m sorry,” Holly says, snapping back to reality. “I was bringing some coffee and I, I apparently tripped.”
Blake gets up and begins to pick up the broken glassware.
“Honey, don’t worry about that. I’ll get that later. Now that we’re all awake. Let’s get some coffee?”
They wander into the kitchen and sit at the table. The warm stream of coffee infuses them all with newfound energy to begin the day.
“We have to call Amanda so that we can get your father’s funeral plans finished,” Holly says in between sips.
“Do you want me to go with you?” Ross says. “I have a meeting with Doris Wolfe in a bit. But considering the circumstances, I’m sure she’ll understand.”
“No, I think we’re good Ross. I think we need to do this by ourselves.”
“Yeah sweetheart. We’ll be fine,” Blake adds, smiling at Ross.
“In that case, I have got to get ready,” Ross says as he gets out of his chair. He leans down to kiss Blake and walks out of the room.
When he is out of earshot, Blake laments to Holly. “I still can’t believe Daddy is gone,” she says. Holly reaches over and places her hand over Blake’s hand.
**********
Alexandra finishes reading the article and smirks. She still cannot believe that he is gone. Anger and shock mix with venom-laced memories of past confrontations.
“All you ever wanted was power,” Alex says to Roger who is hovering over her on the country club balcony. “Oh yeah! Well you liked the power that I had over you!” Roger retorts.
What did I ever see in that man, she thinks. Her mind further ponders the past and the future as she remembers the most recent past few days at Bar Harbor.
Somewhat sorrowful, somewhat vengeful, Alex replies, “Who has the power now Roger?”
Alexandra walks over and pours herself a glass of scotch and sits down on the chair.
**********
Ross visits Cedars on his way to the meeting. Ed needs to know, he thinks. He meets Ed at his office.
“Edward, did you read today’s paper?” he said.
“No, I’ve been on call all night. You know how it is this time of the year. People try to clean their houses and end up with a concussion. It’s a great time of the year. What was in the paper?”
“Amanda Spaulding is back in town. Apparently, Roger died of a heart attack a few nights ago.”
“Are you serious?” Ed questions. "I wasn't sure if he even had a heart."
“Yeah. Amanda is having the body brought back to town.”
“How is Holly doing?”
“She seems to be doing okay, but I know that this must have shaken her up,” Ross says.
“What about Blake?”
“She’s devastated. Roger was her idol.”
“I know all about that,” Ed says with a twinge of jealousy.
“You know, Roger always had impeccable timing. Now even in death, he’s messing everything up.”
“What do you mean?”
“This,” Ross says as he pulls out a small box. Ed opens it and sees an engagement ring stuffed in the jewelry box foam.
“Oh Ross.”
“Now my plans are cancelled at least until after the funeral.”
“I’m sure you will get the chance to propose Ross. Blake is going to need you over the next few days. I’m sure that she is really hurting. You need to be there with her.
**********
Holly, Blake, and Amanda sit in St. Luke’s church. “Roger wanted his funeral to be here,” Amanda says. Holly can’t help but notice the irony. The pastor says that they need to finalize some details for tomorrow.
Blake and Amanda walk away with the pastor to plan the details of the funeral as Holly stands in the sanctuary. Holly flashes back into the past. She hears Roger comfort her.
“Angels persist Holly. Clouds persists, they become showers, they become lakes, and they becomes clouds again and they persist as we persist.”
Holly walks over to the altar and kneels down to pray.
“God, help me get through this.”
**********
After Ross leaves the office, Ed picks up his phone and calls his brother.
“Mike, hey its Ed. You’ll never believe this, Roger Thorpe died.”
“Are you kidding,” said Mike at the other end of the line.
“That seems to be the catchphrase going around town this morning. But yeah, Amanda Spaulding has his body coming back to town. The funeral will probably be sometime tomorrow.”
“Hope and I are coming back to town tomorrow ironically. Hope has a new job as an interior designer for the Cedars project. We’ll be arriving tomorrow,” Mike says.
“Good. I’ll see you soon. Goodbye.”
Ed puts the receiver down and flashes back. Mike and Ed have had some adventures where Roger Thorpe is concerned. He can remember the hot and muggy jungles of Santo Domingo.
Ed holds on to Roger’s hands. Below a dangling Roger is the jagged cliff. His hands are too slippery. No, no. He’s slipping. He’s slipping. He makes a final attempt to grasp Roger’s hand, but no luck. He falls, smashing into the rocks below. Holly unleashes a blood-curling scream.
Ed’s attention is shifted away from the scene from the past.
He remembers Holly and wonders if she is okay.
:Fade to Black:
Next on “The Guiding Light!”
- Roger’s funeral ensues!
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